Thursday, September 1, 2016

Arkansas attorney general weighs in on North Carolina law

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge can't be bothered with illegal payday lending in Arkansas, among other pressing business not worthy of her time such as malfeasance of office by Secretary of State Mark Martin in abetting the illegal removal of eligible voters from the voter rolls. But she has plenty of time to pursue a national right-wing agenda (she even has a deputy solicitor general to go with the full general now).

Latest: Arkansas is on the brief led by Texas to keep North Carolina's viciously anti-LGBT law on the books until various challenges, including by Arkansas, are settled on whether transgender people can use the bathroom of their choice or not.

Rutledge could offer as some defense that Arkansas, too, has a viciously anti-gay law that protects discrimination against LGBT people in hiring, housing and public accommodations if you cite a religious basis for your discrimination.

A federal judge last week said the University of North Carolina could not block transgender students from using the restroom that matches their identity. A Texas judge has gone along with that state's desire to discriminate and Rutledge joins others in saying that's enough to halt action on enforcing the judge's ruling in North Carolina.

Arkansas's interest? Discrimination. It's of a piece with the state's move back to a 1960s-style belief in "freedom of choice" segregative school assignments.

A man was killed and and a woman was critically rounded in a shooting Sunday nigth at 21st and Oak.

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by Max Brantley

Aug 28, 2016

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A federal prosecutor in Missouri said Friday that a former legislator, Henry Wilkins IV of Pine Bluff, had said he'd received $100,000 in bribes as a state legislator from indicted former lobbyist Rusty Cranford. He was not alone on an illicit dole.

On Wednesday, both chambers of the Arkansas legislature approved identical versions of a bill to regulate pharmacy benefit managers, the powerful health care companies at the center of a dispute over cuts in reimbursements paid to pharmacists.

We learned today of the death of a long-time Arkansas Blog friend, Richard Boosey Jr. of Mount Vermpn/

A federal prosecutor in Missouri said Friday that a former legislator, Henry Wilkins IV of Pine Bluff, had said he'd received $100,000 in bribes as a state legislator from indicted former lobbyist Rusty Cranford. He was not alone on an illicit dole.